The people of England and Wales made a huge mistake in voting for Brexit. The new bout of ill-concealed opportunism from the SNP tells us all we need to know about that.

But all is not lost. Perhaps the final blow for the economy - and, indeed, in the long term for the Union - would have been a Prime Minister Leadsom. But that unfathomable act of political self-harm has been averted.

We can expect a more collegiate and constructive approach from new Secretary of State James Brokenshire. Furthermore, he is a close ally of the Prime Minister - extremely good news for Northern Ireland.

Clearly, there are massive economic, constitutional and Brexit negotiation pitfalls to avoid on the road ahead. In Northern Ireland, the position is complicated by First Minister Arlene Foster, who seems to be in denial about many of the challenges.

The Republic's Minister of State for European Affairs, Dara Murphy, on the other hand, already seems to have a sounder grasp of some of the complex problems now facing these islands, such as maintaining the precious Common Travel Area and protecting enormous trade flows between the UK and the Republic.

But, fortunately, many other cool heads will now emerge from a refreshed UK Government, from Belfast, Dublin and Europe. We can now hope to find a way through.

But only if Theresa May and James Brokenshire are supported and given time to consult widely and chart a clear, but careful, path forward.